


inheritance

by marchioness_king



Series: heavy is the head [1]
Category: Original Work, Warriors - Erin Hunter
Genre: Cat society political drama, Character Death, Dynasty - Freeform, Gen, Succession Crisis, literally what do i tag
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-15
Updated: 2020-11-15
Packaged: 2021-03-09 18:40:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 705
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27580825
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/marchioness_king/pseuds/marchioness_king
Summary: Muddydapple has made mistakes, but she is determined not to let her kits suffer for them. Unfortunately, Shadows' only heir has fallen, and her family has fallen into the crossfire.
Relationships: Original Character(s) & Original Character(s)
Series: heavy is the head [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1914238
Kudos: 1





	1. allegiances

**Author's Note:**

> Four clans live in the forest: Shadows, Shores, Skies, and Slopes. They are united by their ancestors, Stars, and the divine birthright granted to their monarchies.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The allegiances are accurate to chapter one of this work, containing the entirety of Shadows and select members of the other three clans. This may be edited as more cats are introduced.

**Shadows**

_ Monarch: _

Beetlecrown - a dark brown tabby tom with blue eyes

_ Heir: _

Sharpfang - a brown tabby tom with yellow eyes

_ Deputy: _

Redstripe - a dark ginger tabby tom with amber eyes

_ Medicine Cat: _

Darkberry - a ginger tortoiseshell tom with amber eyes

_ Medicine Cat Apprentice: _

Needlepaw - a light brown tabby cat with green eyes

_ Warriors: _

Toadspot - a gray and light gray speckled tom with green eyes

Quailpelt - a brown tom

Whitefur - a white tom with red eyes

Goldsight - a gray molly with yellow eyes

Grayclaw - a gray cat with yellow eyes

Smokytail - a dark gray molly

Iriswing - a black molly with amber eyes

Poppyfur - a black and ginger spotted molly

Rosejaw - a ginger tortoiseshell tom

Shadecrouch - a black tom

Bramblegaze - a dark ginger tabby molly

Gorsefoot - a brown tabby tom with a twisted back leg

_ Apprentices: _

Flowerpaw - a brown tabby molly with green eyes - Poppyfur's apprentice

Leafpaw - a brown tabby tom with green eyes - Rosejaw's apprentice

Thornpaw - a gray tabby tom with green eyes - Iriswing's apprentice

_ Nurses: _

Breezestripe - a light gray molly with blue eyes

Bluemask - a gray molly with a light gray mask and blue eyes - mother of Whitefur's kits: Fernkit and Ivykit

Muddydapple - a brown and black spotted molly - mother of three kits, yet unnamed

_ Elders: _

Mouseleap - a brown molly

**Shores**

_ Leader: _

Shellcrown - a cream tom

_ Medicine Cat: _

Eelpelt - a gray tom

_ Nurses: _

Willowtide - a light brown molly - expecting Shellcrown's kits

**Skies**

_ Leader: _

Dawncrown - a ginger molly with yellow eyes

_ Medicine Cat: _

Petuniafall - a brown tabby molly with amber eyes

_ Warriors: _

Molejump - a brown tom with amber eyes

Mottlepelt - a ginger tortoiseshell tom

_ Apprentices: _

Amberpaw - a light ginger molly with yellow eyes

**Slopes**

_ Leader: _

Cottoncrown - a white cat with green eyes

_ Medicine Cat: _

Songleap - a cream molly

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Monarchs lead their clan. They are succeeded by their heir, who is usually one of their kits or another close relative. The deputy is an advisor, chosen by the monarch, and can intervene along with the medicine cat should a relative of the monarch contest the heirship.
> 
> Nurses are cats who are expecting or raising kits.


	2. prologue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shadows' envoy returns from a Gathering, including medicine cat Needlepaw.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW for violence, blood, implied animal death, and fighting, all in a dream sequence.

Needlepaw slunk back into camp at the tail of the envoy, slipping off to the Medicine Den before anyone else could call them back. Darkberry was in his nest when they came in, but he looked up at them, peering through the darkness.

“How was the Gathering?” he asked, pushing himself up to sit.

Agitated, Needlepaw paced through the room. “Beetlecrown challenged Slopes,” they confessed lowly, glancing at the entrance to make sure there was no one there. “He said they’d been trespassing and threatened _war_ , and Cottoncrown didn’t back down-”

“Hush,” Darkberry ordered, and they did. “There’s no point in worrying about that now.”

“Petuniafall asked if Muddydapple’s kits are Heirs,” they added, and he stilled. “I didn’t answer, but if she’s asking…”

“Muddydapple has chosen not to disclose the sire’s name,” he meowed, expression as stern as it was when Rosejaw tried to leave his nest with a broken leg. “We’ll respect that.”

Needlepaw knew that, but they didn’t think the other clans would stay polite about it long. “Sharpfang’s never around her, anyways,” they noted. “And it’s hardly urgent; he’s a young cat.”

“Precisely,” Darkberry meowed, though his eyes were still darting about. “Now, you should sleep. You’ve just traveled a ways.”

“Nothing happened at camp?” they asked.

Darkberry shook his head. “Everything is quiet,” he insisted. “We’ll prepare some herbs tomorrow, in case Beetlecrown makes good on his threats.”

Needlepaw thought they were too agitated to sleep, but they still settled in their nest. Through half-closed eyes, they watched Darkberry approach the entrance, peering out into the camp, before returning.

They were running down a hill with a crowd: cats at their heels and pressed against their sides, the wind in their face and yowls filling the air. The metallic hint of blood filled their nose as they slipped in the grass, but they kept going or they’d surely be trampled by the cats at their back.

They heard cats meet in battle, the telltale sound of claws meeting flesh, and the cries of the injured and dying. They wanted to stop but they _couldn’t_ stop, and the ground was just slipperier and slipperier as they reached the bottom.

A huge cat loomed before them, and they couldn’t stop, and they tried to unsheath their claws before they realized, horrified, that they had none.

The blood on their paws was their own, and they could only watch as their enemy reared up-

They woke with a start, with heaving breaths, and birds sung outside.


End file.
